The Fairy Jobmother
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Career coach offers a reality check to the unemployed.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
THE FAIRY JOBMOTHER highlights the impact unemployment has on families, and the things that job seekers should be doing to find work. British career specialist Hayley Taylor travels around the United States visiting families who find themselves short on cash, motivation, and self-esteem because the family providers are jobless. After observing the family’s habits, she offers a no-nonsense critique of their behavior, and underscores how it impacts the provider’s ability to find employment. She also offers practical tips on ways to keep job skills sharp, pounding the pavement, and giving a good interview. In the end, the people she works with may not always get the jobs they apply for, but the effort they put into finding work always leads to unexpected pay offs.
Is It Any Good?
The unscripted series, which is based on the British reality series of the same name, successfully demonstrates how people can empower themselves to find work even in the worst of economic circumstances. It also shows how doing things like keeping a tidy house and volunteering can help avoid the inactivity and depression that often results from being out of work for too long.
Taylor doesn’t criticize people for being on welfare, nor does she discuss things like medical insurance and other benefits that people are forced to do without when they are out of work. But she does encourage people to stay focused on what they need to do to become financially independent. She also sends the clear message that while it may not be a person’s fault that they are laid off or have lost a job, they must take full responsibility for finding one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the impact unemployment can have on someone’s family. What kind of stress gets put on a family when a parent loses a job? Kids: Are you worried about what would happen if your parents lose their jobs? Parents: How can you address some of kids' concerns?
What are some of the common stereotypes about people who are unemployed? Do you think this series contradicts some of these stereotypes? If so, how?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 28, 2010
- Cast: Hayley Taylor
- Network: Lifetime Television
- Genre: Reality TV
- Character Strengths: Perseverance
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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